how do you think they decided on letting jamie back on the team in s2? don’t know if it’s ever confirmed in canon, but the diamond dogs end up tying on the vote so either rebecca or the whole team have the deciding vote? but it’s hard to tell if it’s been discussed with the entire richmond team or not. also curious about your thoughts on the rebecca and jamie dynamic! we don’t see them interact much, but there is that hug they share in the s3 finale

Ah, I’d say that’s Ted’s call all the way. The Diamond Dogs don’t have any real authority – they’re an (informal) advisory board at best. Ted asks them because he wants their input, but with the vote tied, Ted has the final say. Well, Higgins might have a real say, too, as the director of football operations, but he was the other one voting for Jamie’s return. (And, like. Ted has no problem whatsoever going against the advice of others once he’s made up his mind about something. Though, it should be said, he is also good about changing his mind when it becomes evident that he’s in the wrong.)

Ted, because he is Ted and has Ideas, might have thought to bring the vote to the team, but I think he realized which way it would go and therefore decided against it, because yeah, nah, they’re bringing sexy Jamie back and that’s that.

I imagine he would need to clear it with Rebecca, though, but I also imagine that Rebecca is not particularly inclined to go against Ted’s wishes as a manager, especially at this point (where the whole “actually Ted I was trying to sabotage you all along” is not too far behind them). And if Rebecca voices any protests, I think that Ted would – gently but firmly – suggest that maybe, given the way Jamie was made to leave Richmond, it’s only fair that he’s granted a second chance, and don’t you think that we all need one of those from time to time, boss?

As for Rebecca and Jamie’s relationship, I don’t think there’s much of one up until the very end of season 3. There’s professional contact, when needs be, but until Keeley starts bringing Roy and Jamie round for double dates with Rebecca and her Dutchman (which is my favourite headcanon for the hug), there’s not much outside of that. However, I do have a lot of feelings about how Rebecca and Jamie might bond over being reformed pricks and the power nasty men can have over you, and I think that there might be a conversation the truth of Jamie’s recall to City somewhere between scenes or in the future. (I do have a whole tag fic on some gif set about how that might come to be; someday I might turn it into a proper ficlet. Just rich, rich dramatic pickings right there.)